1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light guide plate and a liquid crystal display device using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a liquid crystal display device including a side-light type or edge-light type backlight, light having entered an end surface of a light guide plate travels inside the light guide plate and reflects off an interface on the rear surface side to exit from the front surface thereof (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-276531). The surface-emitted light from the light guide plate enters a liquid crystal display panel after passing through a polarizer which transmits only light polarized in a particular direction of oscillation (linearly-polarized light or plane-polarized light).
The light traveling inside the light guide plate has a component which reflects off an interface on the light exit surface side when exiting therefrom and remains inside the light guide plate. This is one of the light loss factors. Further, light that the polarizer blocks is absorbed by the polarizer even if the light exits from the light guide plate. This is another light loss factor.